Why is the root word of impossible possible?

The word "impossible" is a bit of a linguistic quirk. While it seems like "possible" should be its root, the story is a little more complex.

Here's the breakdown:

* "Impossible" actually comes from the Latin phrase *in posse*. This translates roughly to "not in power" or "not able."

* The "in" prefix signifies negation. It's like saying "not possible."

* The word "possible" evolved from the Latin *possibilis*, which means "able" or "capable."

So, while "possible" seems like the root, "impossible" is actually formed by negating the original Latin meaning of "able." It's a clever example of how language can use prefixes to create new words with opposite meanings.